Jesus was not God.

Posted on 08/22/2011 by remso

Jesus was not God.

What some groups teach about Jesus and the Bible’s response
Adapted from Rose Publications, Christianity, Cults & Religions, 7th Edition.

First off; I do not agree with this statement, at all. I will admit difficulty totally understanding the concept, but I comprehend through scripture that He was God, and therefore have confidence in Jesus being God and accept that as fact.

What initiated this brief dive into the cults and their opposing statements, was a question asked by a co-worker about what the Jehovah Witness believe, because he felt that a person at work was trying to convert him. I did not feel like I gave him a good, solid answer. I have the book, Kingdom of the Cults, by Walter Martin, but I find my self overwhelmed by the amount of information. The Rose chart seems to give me just enough information to satisfy the inquiries of my shallow mind. (My sense of humor)

The Rose chart used John 1:1 as their first definitive answer, so lets take a look at that.
IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. [Isa. 9:6.] (John 1:1 AMP)

That is a an excellent portrayal of not only Jesus as God, but Jesus as the Word of the living God. A concept that people, primarily non-believers, will struggle with. One really needs to take in the whole scene, in context, therefore I suggest that you spend some time thinking about John 1:1-5. That way you can see the intricacies of the portrait, much like a painting of a sunny day, with the sun dominating in the sky, there are so many other subtle details that enhance the composition.

The translation, Word, is from the Greek word Logos, meaning a spoken word; a thought or concept, and an expression of utterance of that thought. With 325 occurrences of the word Logos, over half are translated as the Word of God. Virtually every other has to do with some method of communication.

One of the problems that anyone has to deal with is a lack of belief. You can beat people over the head with scripture all day long, with conviction, and still not get them to change their minds. Sort of like that old saying, you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink. Perhaps overwhelming evidence is the way, presented in love.

John 1:1 is understandable to me, but then I chose to understand, and I have come to know that the Holy Spirit is playing a major role in mine or anyone’s ability to grasp and pursue the truth. Jesus made a few other statements concerning himself as the Word.

Luke 8:21 “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”
Here he had been teaching. Challenged because of the potential scene his mother and brothers (James) were making outside; he responds with this statement. Did you notice that He attributed the Word coming out of his mouth to being God’s words. If Jesus had not been God then this statement would be blasphemous.
John 5:24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my Word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
In this verse lies the key that opens anything about scripture that the world perceives as a mystery. Paul uses that term when he wrote his letter to young Timothy. Jesus points out that anyone responding to His Word and having a belief, in God, has eternal life and will not be judged. This is the same message that Paul preaches in his letter to the Romans. Paul never stood before Jesus, that we know of, listening intently, allowing it to grow faith in him. So where do you think Paul got this from? You would be right to say directly from Jesus himself.
John8:37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me, because you have no room for my Word.
I chuckle as I read these passages for the Pharisees knew exactly what he was saying. It is possible that the common folk did not grasp it. Keep in mind that not everyone had a bible sitting on a table next to the Lazy Boy.
What is dominate to me in this passage is that they had no room for his Word. How does that happen? They were the learned ones, they studied “God’s Law” with diligence. One might think that all they had room for was God’s word, and yet standing before God he tells them they do not. Reacting purely out human emotion their anger and rage must have boiled to the surface. They did not accept Him as the Messiah, they certainly were not going to accept him God, so to kill him was a prescribed recourse, because that is what you do to blasphemous persons.

What I have listed below is a short collection of passages that speak toward Jesus being God. I pretty much operate out of the NIV, so the verse will be from there unless otherwise stated.
Much like many movies these days where there is some humorous gem that follows along with the credits, I suggest you read to the end.
1Corinthians 1:24 Christ is the power and the wisdom of God.
Colossians 2:3 Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom an knowledge.
Colossians 2:9 In Christ all the fulness of the deity (God) lives in bodily form,
John 1:3 (GW) Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him.
John 1:14 That Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
Colossians 1:15-19
(15) The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
(16) For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
(17) He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
(18) And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
(19) For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,

Whether I made my point or not is somewhat dependent upon the reader. An argument is constructed in such a manner as to convince the opposition of it correctness. Jesus needed no proofs and yet God provided them; perhaps that is because He knew how broken and skeptical we were. Jesus was described before He came. His name was established in the heavens and foretold. He walked this earth as a man fulfilling every prophecy about him. He did precisely what He said He would do. He died and rose again. He was witnessed by many after he arose, and He ascended into the heavens, sending us His Holy Spirit, just as He said He would do. This is what Paul tells Timothy in the passage below.

1 Timothy 3:16 (MSG) This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough: He appeared in a human body, was proved right by the invisible Spirit, was seen by angels. He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples, believed in all over the world, taken up into heavenly glory.

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Ferrets and Hearing loss

Posted on 08/11/2011 by remso

Early one recent A.M. I was watching a program about people and their pets, specifically ferrets. There is something captivating about how animated they are. Attach a wrecking ball and they could destroy anything. They grab and hide everything. Strangely, while watching, I found myself analyzing whether or not I could fit all these quirks and demands into my life.

What does any of this have to do with hearing loss?

I passed by Dad a short time later and tried to talk with him about. (This was meant to be a funny conversation as I had no intention of getting a ferret.) I already had an idea of what he would say, if he heard me. He did not.

I tried getting louder and even changed the wording, but he still could not hear enough to understand. His mind apparently went to the visit by the great grand daughter the previous day. I know this because when I said, and motioned to indicate how ferrets would get into all this stuff, he said something about ‘yeah, that little kid was all into this stuff’.

OK, he is not hearing me, and I refuse to scream. – Now is when it gets worse.

Side note: I have been noticing a phenomenon that happens with me also. If I only hear a portion of what was said, and the portion may have been critical to the story, the minds tends to create a logical assumption and fills in the blank spot. So in the case of my Dad, a child was the logical assumption for the missing ferret.

I had given up the attempt to communicate this ferret story to him and was past ready to move away, but I now found the correlation between ferrets and children worthy of a chuckle.

Mom, notorious for her interjections, whether called for or not, is standing in the hall. She had already started muttering something about this, as she was also aware of this correlation. She is facing dad, who is frustrated because he could not understand. I quickly mentioned the subject to mom and she starts laughing.

Dad sees mom’s laughter, makes a huge assumption, and begins screaming, “go ahead, make fun of me because I cannot hear.”

I suppose in truth that is what we were doing, but I do not think it was intentional, at least on my part. Dad said a few other things in next few seconds, but a deeper source of anger came to the surface, and that was the interruption of his plans with having to watch an eighteen month old child that previous day.

The child has to be entertained, but worse is that at grandpa’s house there far to many things within reach of a small child that can harm them. We have lived with it and pay little attention to them. One might equate it to going into the barn, at a farm. You might find pitch forks, axes, hoes, and large animals, that are more than willing to kick you into next week if you annoy them. Dad was raised with a farm mentality and thinks little of it.

This all reminds me of a landscape design project that I worked on for a man that lived in the high desert. Even though he had small children, that would be playing hard, right next to these cactus he wanted, said, “if they get hurt, they will only do it once.”

Obviously hearing loss has been a theme as I have been writing, so here goes.

What can one say about hearing loss? Aside from the disappointment you endure, not much good. I have some, and I have blown up at my girlfriend over it, just as my dad did. It is not a joke to me.

There are several causes, but a couple of things that are common with me are: divided attention; lack of focus, and external noises.

If I am focused on the television or my mind gets involved in some thought, then I probably will not hear or at least register what you said to me. Mind you I probably heard something, it just did not register as intelligible with me. I also find that my hearing is affected quite a bit when I am driving, for now I am competing with all the street noises and other cars that are not paying attention, because of their own personal distractions.

Now, relate all this to the Holy Spirit trying to speak into our lives on a daily basis. There are times that I cannot hear anything for all the voices in my head. No, I am not losing my mind, but be real for a moment. I stop to get a bite to eat prior to work in the morning. This often feels like the best part of my day, for now I can be alone, get quiet, read the Word, and try to tune out whatever funk they have playing on the overhead radio. So here I sit, thinking about the time, avoiding upcoming traffic, what God may be saying to me, attempting to listen to his voice, tuning out some of my own thoughts, and all this while competing with 80’s disco and boy bands that were so popular then.

Get it – voices. All of them competing for my attention, and I have to learn to pick out the most beneficial one. Ideally I want that to be the voice of the Holy Spirit.

In the midst of all this, you need to know that God is not going to yell in order to get your attention. No doubt he can make a ruckus, we saw that when he was making his point along these lines with Elijah. The end result of that teaching session was that God communicated with a still small voice.

” Then he said, Go out and take your place on the mountain before the Lord. Then the Lord went by, and mountains were parted by the force of a great wind, and rocks were broken before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind there was an earth-shock, but the Lord was not in the earth-shock. And after the earth-shock a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, the sound of a soft breath. And Elijah, hearing it, went out, covering his face with his robe, and took his place in the opening of the hole. And there a voice came to him saying, What are you doing here, Elijah? ” (1 Kings 19:11-13 BBE)

I can tell you from experience that I have to be paying attention to hear a voice like that.

An analogy: My girlfriend and her daughters have learned to communicate with very high frequency, low volume, vocal tones. It seems to me that happens when they do not want me to hear them. In truth, they are just used to each other and do it all the time.

The nice thing about the Holy Spirit is that he speaks to and through our spirits, and that is internal, not subject to physical impairments that prevent a hearing loss. And the Holy Spirit can speak to you whether you belong to Him or not.

Why might that be? He paid the ransom price for us, and technically owns us. Ponder that!

Why then do we not hear Him?

Having taken grandma to the hearing specialist we learned that arthritis can effect the inner ear, causing the eardrum to toughen, therefore not responding appropriately to the sound it hears. We seem to suffer from a spiritual version of this in which we harden our hearts. God speaks of this when he says “do not harden you hearts..”. You will find references to this in: Psa 95:8, Heb 3:8, Heb 3:15, Heb 4:7

This hardening is a selfish act that desensitizes the heart against God’s voice. I might note that grandma, in our opinion, could not hear, and yet he claimed she has no hearing loss as we understand it. If not for the hardening, she would hear.

I suspect that little occurs outside the umbrella of self inflicted hearing loss when it comes to God speaking. Let’s suppose that you are not intentionally trying to ignore God, then we have to consider the distraction factors. Scripture tells us that the world and all that is in it are hostile against God.

Your mind balks at that because you have to work, and I am sure that God intended for you to relax. Perhaps, but there is little about your life that promotes focused concentration on God’s voice.

For me, one of the ways I focus my attention upon Him is through worship. That word means different things depending upon the hearer. Many will tell you that every aspect of being on the property of our religious edifice fills the need for worship. I don’t think so! I have run sound boards and had to walk away. I ran the computer interfaced projection screen, and directed the camera people, and I had to walk away. WHY? Because it became a tedious job and ceased to be a part of worship. No doubt for a time it was, and felt like it. I can remember how it felt to be able to dance before the Lord, in a booth that I thought no one could see into. I remember being able to comment to a camera person how what the Pastor had just said spoke into my heart. But it all turned into a stressful, tedious, job, and I have that on a steady basis at work, and do not want that in any form come time for me to go to “church”.

Women, at least in my opinion, seem to think all of us men are shallow because we might go and buy a card and merely sign our name to it. I can tell you that I picked up and read every one of them. The one I signed has been one of those that expressed most clearly what I wanted to convey. I have learned that I must take this card thing a step further by adding some additional emotion. Worship, singing out to the Lord, is the same thing to me. I make many of the songs we sing mine, and I sing them back to God as a prayer, or a plea.

It excites me that so many songs extol God for his greatness or his grace and mercy. There is one that says, “but that is not who you are”. In so many places in scripture there are descriptive words defining who we are in Christ, and how God sees us. I cannot get enough of this. It focuses me, clears out the cobwebs of daily life, and it often causes me to be overwhelmed with waves of joy, and I find myself laughing. Given a more liberal environment I would just let that joy wash over me, for that is a place I love, and long to be enveloped in.

Why is it that you can take a quiet, reserved, confined person, add alcohol and they will do things with little regard for the people around them?

Consider that we as believers have been invited to come and drink from the fountain of life. I might add that Jesus turned the water into wine. Life tends to evoke thoughts of things that though strenuous, bring joy and mental relaxation.

Ponder the reaction many have to alcohol. It shuts down or mutes many of the brains receptors, and apparently concerns for what people think about you and perceive are one of those. If you are out of control and humiliate yourself, though you may have no concerns at the time, many will remind you later about what you did.

I spoke to a hypnotist on one occasion and asked him why people do crazy things under hypnosis. He said those people are doing no less than what they would under the influence of alcohol, and they are only doing what their conscience and personal limitations will allow. In other words, you will not do thing that go against your will.

God asks us to step out in faith and speak something that is unknown to us, into someone else’ life. His intent, though that is really not our concern, often involves some form of healing or revelation of God’s love toward the individual. (I realize that was a simplistic answer, but “God’s love” is inclusive of most of what God does, therefore a fair answer.) I have many times seen the recipients tear up as God speaks to them through a willing person. (I am usually overwhelmed by the mercy of God as I give out something like this, and you would typically see me in tears as well.)

If I cannot step outside those things that constrain me internally then how do I respond to God’s voice?

If there is really no hearing loss, what then are we dealing with?

Lack of focus – upon God, his Word, his voice?

Outside distractions – There are so many.

No interest – In what, knowing Him?

Self conscious issues – you are so concerned about what, how this makes you look? I wanted to much to be cool and accepted. Fortunately I have become old enough to realize how stupid that is, most of the time.

A fear of ….

Lack of trust – Really this could easily fall under the category of fear. But if you do not trust God then you are showing me that you do not know Him, and that is a situation that you can remedy.

You believe that you are lacking the venue in which to deliver your message. – This one is such a trap. I fell into it myself. If God gives you a word for someone, while tact may be in order, the place has nothing to do with some church structure. I watched a group who opted to take the prophetic ministry to the street and integrate it into their street ministry. I watched the tears flow on the street as well, as God showed people who might not have stepped inside a church, how much he loved them. God will invade your dreams and the dreams of others if you ask him.

A lack of recognition of God’s voice. – That is one you will have practice. It requires that you take risks, and therefore allow your steps to be subtle and small at first. If you use this as a guideline you will probably be relatively safe. God has said all that he needs to say in his word, therefore what you say can easily sound so much like bits of several scriptures and have such a tremendous impact. If you merely told someone, with sincerity, that God was especially fond of them, you would not be wrong.

Be careful. If you deny or attribute God’s intent or activity to the Devil then according to Matthew 12 you are in the place of blasphemy, and that cannot be a good place.

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What do you mean by idle words, virtually everything we say is idle.

Posted on 07/16/2011 by remso

A chance meeting has led me to Matthew’s gospel.

Matthew 12:9-37

God has settled me in chapter12 and I find myself focused on verse 36 for several days.

The context of verse 36 is part of his response to “It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.”

These Pharisees attributed his work, God’s work, the Spirit’s work, to the devil. A portion of his response includes this: “men will have to give an account for every careless word they have spoken.”

We have this tendency to take a verse like this and beat people up with it. Another way of stating that idea would be the undue guilt and condemnation we lay upon people who will not look at scripture for themselves.

Let’s take a look at the possibilities of what he was talking about.

Matthew was a Jewish oriented writer and part of his mission seemed to be convincing the Jewish believers that Jesus was God, through lineage, prophecy, actions, and words. Chapter12 gives us a taste of many aspects of this.  Since the Pharisees were notorious for their long eloquent prayers that truly meant nothing, Matthew went right for the heart. You will be held accountable for every word.

But I say to you that every idle word, whatever men may speak, they shall give an account of it in the day of judgment. Matthew 12:36 MKJV)

One might think that he had turned his attention back to his disciples, or the crowd that seemed to follow him everywhere. That would be a logical assumption except that He, in verse 34, states: “you generation of vipers”, a specific reference to the Pharisees that had challenged him and were still standing before him.

Although the target of His conversation is the Pharisees, He is also talking to the Jewish crowd that always followed Him; the fact that Matthew points all this out then by extension applies to us as well. But does it really?

Only seconds before Jesus made this statement of condemnation he made a startling statement, to those that heard it, that was very freeing, and a reference to a future act, the cross, and his death.

“I tell you therefore, men will be forgiven any sin and blasphemy, but they will not be forgiven for blaspheming the Spirit. Whoever says a word against the Son of man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, neither in this world nor in the world to come.” Matthew 12:31-32 Moffatt NT)
If you had previously dived into Paul’s letter to the Romans you got a taste of this as he speaks about sin, the struggle, and how we, as followers of Christ are to consider ourselves dead to sin. Now, here in Matthew, we are dealing with somewhat conflicting messages. One seems all-encompassing in terms of condemnation, and the other implies a blanket freedom from sins. This freedom is not exclusive to future believers only, but in the chronology of Christ’s life and death, will soon be inclusive of everyone.

There seems to be a dividing line.

The Pharisees were educated and there should be no doubt about that. Paul was one, and his zeal drove him to murder early Christians. (Do not think naively that Stephen was the first and only.) And yet, with all their education, they could not see or understand that God stood before them. Matthew was still trying, all these years later, to point this fact out to them.

Why, with all your education, would you make a statement like this; “When the Pharisees heard this, they replied, “He drives out demons only because their ruler Beelzebul gives him power to do so.”” Matthew 12:24 GNB)

Revelation 20:13 Indicates that those being judged at the great white throne are judged based upon their deeds and not their words.

Here again, we have another clue to help us interpret scripture. In Revelation 20 verse 4, John tells us that he saw those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus. Doesn’t this imply that words were the reason they were killed? Not necessarily.  Were they simply careless? It does not seem to matter when it comes to making a final stand for the true God, as they demonstrated exemplary action.

These are the tribulation saints – those who did not believe prior to the harpazo (the rapture.) These saints, as God called them, certainly experienced a judgment based upon their words and actions. 

The pathetic aspect of this is that they did not have to go through the “great tribulation”, and that in itself exhibits a disregard that is mind-boggling. Even still God is not bringing judgment upon them because of this lack of activity on their part.

As I write this I am thinking about a guy at work, a Jehovah Witness, that does not know the true God, and yet has a vague understanding of God and who he is. He does, however, believe that Jesus and Satan were brothers. Why wouldn’t a belief system like that not fall under the category of blaspheming against the Spirit? If anything I think that we find that God is much more merciful than most of us imagined.

One other thing to note about these people who disregarded God’s pleas for them to come to Him. Faults or not, they (if deemed a part of the tribulation saints,) will rule and reign with Christ during the thousand years, merely because they finally took a stand and chose God over the beast.

There are other predominant flags here that lead us to an understanding of what and to whom Jesus is talking.

  • First, let’s not just classify them as Pharisees but deeply religious people. Now we can extend this to today, and we have plenty of those.
  • Secondly, Jesus deemed their words as careless. Perhaps we can substitute thoughtless, derogatory, in opposition, blatantly lacking belief, and therefore in denial of the power of the Holy Spirit and therefore God. If you attribute an act of God to the Satanic then you are not just denying the power of God, you may well be denying God himself.

The passage tells us that Jesus knew their thoughts. Doesn’t that mean that they had not openly spoken out the negativity that filled their vile little hearts? What if, even on a small scale, they had broadcast their denials of God and his power?

The Pharisees, do they not become the poison that begins to kill the tree? Alright, you caught me, I left out an aspect of Jesus response to the Pharisees; his comments about trees producing good fruit. So, let me interject them for a moment.

“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is known by its fruit.
Matthew 12:33 NET.)
I was trained as a Horticulturalist so this speaks to me on a couple of levels. So I ask myself, how does one make a tree good?

  1. If I want an Apple tree that is what I buy, therefore the tree is expected to produce a particular fruit.

  2. In its early stages of growth, not having reached maturity, I would be foolish to expect fruit. Therefore patience is a virtue, and condemning the tree without giving it a chance to grow is foolish. Jesus was from an agricultural environment and may have had a firm grasp of this. Even if farming was not in his knowledge base he was a carpenter, and who better would have understood trees.

  3. These days we know that certain trees have issues in particular environments. (No kidding, are we not the same way.) It is safer, on the part of the grower, to graft an excellent apple variety onto a variety that may not be known for its edibility as much as it is for disease resistance. Hence the trunk of the tree is different from the producing portion. The rootstock (the part in the ground that becomes the anchor in a sense) often resists a common nematode that impacts apple varieties, while the canopy produces a much-desired fruit. (This should have a familiar ring to it, as scripture tells us that we believers have also been grafted in.)

  4. Placed in a preferred environment (good soil) the tree what it was meant to do. Can it be nourished through fertilization? Yes, and a knowledge of pruning techniques that enhance production is essential, for some trees produce on the second-year growth of wood.

How would you make a tree bad?

That does not even sound right, to a farmer that is counterproductive, as a majority of a farmers time is spent fighting against influences that can cause a tree to go bad.  If I wanted to harm a tree, or purposely kill it, then a simple method would be to withhold water. A lack of water will stress the tree, impacting the fruit and production; and, if the drought is prolonged and severe enough the tree will not recover from the stress, and die. Isn’t death bad enough?

How does this relate?

Obviously, it does because Jesus presented it. Have you not read that in the life of the believer, the word of God is the water. Now picture putting yourself under a self-imposed stress, because of a lack of water. How far do you have to push the limits of non-watering before your chances of recovery are maxed out? (In a plant’s life, removal of water impacts every aspect of the plant. Each aspect is essential; and, taken together over an extended period a death sentence for the plant.) The point here is that stressing a plant is a bad thing, and at minimum causes the plant to wilt until more water comes. Now why would you want to intentionally do a similar thing to your own life; and yet, that is what we do. Most of us, from the standpoint of God’s word, never water ourselves, and if the Holy Spirit shows himself strong anywhere near us, most will cry that they want none of that.

What did the Pharisees say that was so bad? “It is only by Beelzebub .. that this fellow drives out demons.”

Are you serious? This was a direct affront to the idea that Jesus was God, and even they understood that only God could cast out a demon. This makes me chuckle for people are ignorant enough to say that Jesus never said that he was God. If he did not say it when he was demonstrating it, the Pharisee’s had just watched it happen, and they are now confronted by evidence that conflicted with and convicted them of their unbelief.

There is something that happens in people, and they will not accept responsibility for their mistakes.

Seriously, how many times have you heard someone say “I knew that!” or “that is what I meant to say!”. The Pharisees did not waste their time saying those things, they take it to the next step; they immediately start plotting to kill Jesus. Knowing this concerned him to the degree that he pulled away from these madmen. (Do not think that Jesus pulled back out of fear. I believe that he knew the precise timing, and when he needed to ride into Jerusalem on the donkey, as scripture and the prophets foretold; and therefore, relocated so as not to provoke unnecessary and premature murder attempts.)

Calling Jesus “this fellow” is another slap in the face of God. Even if you cannot attribute his works to God, they knew his name, and evidence alone told them that Jesus was God, just as he had stated.

The bottom line here is that the blasphemy that is unforgivable is a denial of His name, son-ship, authority, claims, and power; effectively refusing to accept who God is. It is not just your playing with words, this is a choice and lifestyle. That should have rung a bell for belief in the one who raised Jesus from the dead is the key to salvation.

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We were deemed righteous.

Posted on 06/10/2011 by remso

Through Justification – We were deemed righteous.

Without fanfare, hoopla, and all the festive sounds of a celebration it came – our justification.

Life came in place of death. Previously we had no options, we were all dead men walking, but on that day everything changed.

Do you think anyone noticed, felt different, or made radical changes to their lives because of it. Yes, there were some dramatic moments. Some of which equaled any nail biting movie scene, for graves popped open and people came back to life. There was an earthquake, the sun went dark at midday, and the one that few would have been aware of, the curtain within the temple, thick and dense, ripped in two starting at the top and tearing all the way to the floor; in a sense exposing God openly to the world and the world to God.

Justified in God’s eyes. Paid for, and now free to choose. Prior to Christ’s death man had no choice. Instructions after the law came showed man how to momentarily alleviate guilt, but it brought no life.

Abram, he hoped for …
But what did he base his hope upon? God had showed himself to Abram in dreams and visions on several occassions. Apparently they were so explicit that Abram was able to relay what he saw at a later date.

Having had one of those moments I can remember thinking that I should write this down. I did not. Upon awakening I remembered little of what was said, only the concept that the end of my life was filled with great joy. Having lived another 32 years since that revelation I have experienced very brief punctuations of joy in a sorrow filled life.
Do I understand it all? No. What I do take away from all this is that there is something more; a promise of things to come, perhaps heaven, and that I have my hope in.

Abram had a promise of things to come and he hoped in those things. Apparently he remembered his.
Did he have the potential for sorrow and doubt? Yes.

Let’s ponder this for a moment. God hears his plea for a famiy, and yet it is many years before Issac is born. You really think that space in time did not get to him. When Sarai offers him Hagar, Abram seems to jump at the chance. He certainly did put up much of a fight.
Looking forward a few years later. Ishamael, the product of his relations with Hagar, has to be sent away almost as though he did not exist. Good, bad, or indifferent this is a son to Abram and a crushing blow.

Isaac comes along, and is now of an age where he can see the logic of what is happening  and might even be able to put up a fight, and yet the boy becomes obedient, perhaps even submissive to the father’s will. Isaac may have even had an understanding of what was taking place. Unless God comes through this boy is about to become the sacrifice. Obviously God comes through, but make note you hear nothing of Sarah anymore until her death.

Sometimes it feels as though even if you can read about the love that God has toward us, that it is still just a mind game. How much less would this have been the case with Abraham. He had the same potential issues to deal with, and Satan was not going to let up on him any less than us.
Here is where we have a slight edge. Abraham had to believe that there was a reality to what he saw in the dreams and visions in order to obtain righteousness. A right standing with God. He had no life in himself; he was a dead man. Christ died for our sins, and rose again for our life, our justification. Therefore we are alive and righteous in God’s eyes. Paul makes clear that we have to believe that to be considered sons, adopted, and joint heirs with Christ, and a joint heir enjoys the same benefits as the heir does, right? Then if nothing else happens, heaven is my hope. There are other things that make me feel alive, kinda like writing this blog, or responding to the spirit when He tells me to speak.

I truly believe that there is a heaven, promised by Jesus himself, and that he invited all who will believe in him, a life with him and the Father.

What do you hope in?

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Abraham believed God

Posted on 06/09/2011 by remso

Rom 4:3  For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Seems straightforward enough, but very simplistic. In reality I suppose it is. Stretch this out there a couple more years perhaps, to a time after the snatching away has taken place. All those people that the church has deemed evil have had to take a stand, refusing to take the beasts mark, or worship the beast. For their stand they will be beheaded (this, by the way, is a fundamental Islamic teaching and methodology.) Because they have refused to take the mark, then we have to assume that in some bizarre or sincere way they have accepted that Jehovah is God. Here is the absolutely amazing part, God calls them saints. After a period of time, which is God prescribed, he raptures them to heaven.
Now did anyone see the FAITH in this, for it was certainly counted unto them as righteousness. That should sound familiar seeing as it is the same phrase that was used on Abram.
Consider that word “it”, we will come back to that.

Now for a brief interlude:
Warning!!! I am going to leave this in because this is a great example of why we should read our bibles for ourselves, and not allow someone’s fairy tale to allow us to form an image or opinion of who God is.
Abram, apparently an old man, has set up camp in the desert. Let’s call it that for the sake of the story. Flat, somewhat desolate, and relatively open; anyone could see for miles if a camel was approaching. The tent where Sarai is getting ready to cook dinner is about a hundred yards away, and Abram has bent over gathering some sticks. Totally aware of what is around him because there are some dangers around these parts due to snakes and such.
When Abram stands himself up and turns to go back to the tent there is a man standing there. Abram leaps a few feet backward, drops all firewood he has gathered and grabs his chest in shock. Where did you come from?

This was a man standing before him. Alright let’s think this through. When Jesus’ disciples said show us the Father, what was Jesus response? Possibly a little dissapointment then a revelation unveiled to them. If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. That should not be so odd to us then to make the connection. This was Jesus, himself, standing before Abram.
What other possibilities are there? An angel, someone might say. Ok, lets ponder that a moment. Daniel saw an angel and he fell on his face as if dead at the presence of the angel.
Here is the passage that I am referring to.
Daniel 10:4-9 KJV  And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;  (5)  Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:  (6)  His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.  (7)  And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.  (8)  Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.  (9)  Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.

Abram experienced nothing like this, and did not describe the person he saw in this manner. Someone so remarkable would surely evoke some kind of comment. Just to stretch the imagination a bit I will use the imagery of Tom Selleck. Tall, handsome, a sturdy frame, and I suppose you could say he is dimpled, but there is that signature moustache. I can picture him in my mind just that quickly. And yet Abram does not yet speak of anything remarkable. How odd.
What does scripture describe Jesus as? “he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. ” Isa 53:2

But here is the rub, what did he say?
Suppose some stranger startles you, and before you can take a breath begins his spill about the latest super sponge that will absorb 1000 times its own weight in liquid simply by dropping it lightly upon your carpet. Say what!
I think my response might be something along this line. I do not know who you are or why you have just sneaked up on me, now get out before I help you out.

In a way that was pathetic. Pathetic because I used it as an analogy of what an amazing story Abram’s faith is.
But here is the practical truth. No less amazing, but God was showing himself to Abram over the course of time in dreams and visions. Why is that so remarkable? Because God is doing this with the Muslim peoples, and many are coming to Christ. It is said that they go in pursuit of the Jesus of their dreams, wishing to speak out to someone who will understand, that they have chosen to follow the true God and king.

God had spoken to Abram on several occasions, and in a sense had become a familiar acquaintance with Abram. After rescuing Lot, blessing Melchizedek, refusing the king of Sodom’s attempts at gifting, Abram has another vision. In it he asks God “what will you give me, seeing I go childless,?” Continue to read the 15th chapter of Genesis and you find a man that seems to have become well acquainted with the most high.

So God tells him that his seed will be as the stars in the heavens. Abram has seen a lot, and God has spoken to him on several occasions at this point. God has shown himself strong on Abram’s behalf and is very believable by this time. When God says you are going to have children, when after many years of trying, and apparently quiting that idea. What do you do? You try again. That may not be the keenest idea that Sarai has heard lately, but she goes along with it.
Did it work immediately? No. Sarai even suggests that he try it with Hagar. Bad idea, but it proves a point, the problem is not with Abram.

Is this the point at which we can definitively say that Abram showed tremendous faith and that was what demonstrated to God that Abram should be counted as righteous?
Doesn’t answering this question tend to evoke ramifications that we are trying to tell God what should and should not be deemed faith?

I told you to consider “it” earlier. Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. I do not see any way you can see this as anything other than belief. Belief in what though?
If I used the poor example of a someone big and scary suprising me, then telling me what was expected of me, my motivation might be more fear motivated, and that is certainly not faith. The simple kids song that goes like this, “faith is just believing what God said he would do” might be the simplistic explanation.

Paul’s letter to the Romans, where this sort of started for me, has one of the simplest recipes for belief, therefore our being counted as righteous is as simple as:

Romans 4:21-25 Moffatt NT  (21) Abram was .. convinced that He was able to do what He had promised.  (22)  Hence his faith was counted to him as righteousness.  (23)  And these words counted to him have not been written for him alone  (24)  but for our sakes as well; faith will be counted to us as we believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,  (25)  Jesus who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised that we might be justified.

– The “Him” – is of course God.
– Jesus our Lord implies that you choose to belong to him.
– Jesus died. There is no two ways about that, and the responsibility falls solely on God, for scripture tells us that God put him on that cross. The fact that he was delivered up was explicitly for the purpose of covering our trespasses, once for all time. Any attempt at diminishing that is to say that God’s payment of his son was not enough.
– That same Jesus who died, rose again. He was raised that we might be justified.  The ISBE defines the term “to justify” as:  in a legal sense, the declaring just or righteous.

Pastor Greg Laurie of Calvary Chapel defines justified this way. It is just as if I had not sinned.

Well I have blabbed on long enough. I hope you find that God is particularly pleased with you, as you have chosen to walk with him. I will thrown in one last example that I threw at the bible study the other night. If in the process of making a cake you decide to make it blue. You get the food coloring and drop in several drops. As you begin stirring the batter it eventually becomes entirely blue with no trace of other color seen. The day we accepted Him that raised Jesus from the dead God dropped some of his color in us. It is impossible to get that color out from that point on, and over the course of our life here on earth we get stirred, so gradually, until on that day we meet him face to face, that color is permeating every aspect of who we are until we are completely overtaken by his color and none of our own shows anymore. Now there is little hope for you.
God bless and love ya.

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Where did Cain find a wife?

Posted on 06/02/2011 by remso

This is meant to be lite hearted, and make you think at the same time.

While we may not definitive answers for everything, I believe that God fully intended for the answers to be found.

Now Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.” And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain, a worker of the ground.(Genesis 4:1-2 ESV)

Here is the background for this discussion.

Sitting in a Wednesday night bible study at a small church. A friend of mine asks the “off-topic” question, “where did Cain find a wife?”

That happens to be a great question.

He even added that “Adam and Eve only had two children didn’t they?”

The leader of the study responded, “I do not know; I will have to study that out.” If in doubt, study it out. That is a good response, but a student of the bible should have had an answer.

Moments passed, and no one could respond; therefore she started to move on.

I could not stand it and asked if I could field the question.

  1.  When God spoke to Eve, after the fall, he told her, “I will increase your pain and your labor when you give birth to children.” Now, why would that be relevant to her unless she had already experienced childbirth? Can I prove that? Well, yes and no. Yes because Cain did take a wife and there is no logical means to that end outside of this assumed chronological and genealogical path. No, because there is nothing in scripture that specifically backs me up.
  2. Cain feared that people would kill him. How would he have any concept of other people, unless there were other people?
  3.  Therefore he (Cain) fled to the city of Nod. Now mind you, I do not think that the city would have been much more than a hut or two and a fire pit, but none the less, it was a city, with people in it.

Hasn’t that ever intrigued you? Where did any other people come from? So, let’s say that we do not know how long Adam and Eve romped in the garden. Physical enjoyment of each other was a limitless aspect of who they were. Therefore, the quantity of offspring could have been tremendous. And the offspring could have easily had their own children. Why does this concept have to seem so odd? There was no sin until the tree of knowledge incident, therefore these potential people were living in the manner that God intended heaven on earth to be like.

Now there is another oddity about this that needs consideration. What would the unpolluted offspring, of two people created in God’s image, be like?

Keep in mind that man was created a spirit being first, and then a body was put on him. Did the body suddenly limit anything that he was capable of? I doubt it. You might say that Adam was the first Superman. Jesus walked through a locked door, walked on water, and may well have rolled back the stone from his own grave – if not, then he walked through stone; and, shortly thereafter ate fish with the disciples.

Haven’t you ever struggled with the idea of sons of God looking upon the daughters of men? What do you think these people were? The Bible tells us that they were fallen, angels. In the book of Job, Satan approaches God, intermingled with “the sons of God – angels.

Jude 1:6 CJB  And the angels that did not keep within their original authority, but abandoned their proper sphere, he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for the Judgment of the Great Day.

Genesis 6:1-4 NET. When humankind began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, 2) the sons of God saw that the daughters of humankind were beautiful. Thus they took wives for themselves from any they chose. 3) So the LORD said, “My spirit will not remain in humankind indefinitely since they are mortal. They will remain for 120 more years.” 4) The Nephilim were on the earth in those days (and also after this) when the sons of God were having sexual relations with the daughters of humankind, who gave birth to their children. They were the mighty heroes of old, the famous men.

2 Peter 2:4 NET. For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell and locked them up in chains in utter darkness, to be kept until the judgment.

Add this to the mix the fact that God gave man dominion over the earth. That dominion is a controlling attitude, and things are all good until sin gets thrown into the mix, but now it becomes selfish desire and is as deadly as dynamite in the hands of a curious child.

Suddenly the brakes are thrown on, and everything changed. Sin washed over them like a flood. Strangely we only see the effects demonstrated in Cain and Abel, where Cain smashes his brothers head in with a rock. Why? Cain could not even answer the question. Selfish desire.

Cain wanted his sacrifice accepted even though he knew it was wrong. Wait a minute. How would Cain have known that? We do not specifically see anyone telling the boys how, what, and why they should now offer sacrifice. Who, specifically, was the one that did know? Adam.

After the fall, our two focal points (Adam and Eve,) who happened to be vegetarians at this point, have clothing, made by God, and put on them. Do you believe that this was all there was to that story? God laid out the entire plan of salvation, at least the parts that were necessary for Adam to cover his transgressions, and God showed him how through the sacrifice of an animal.

Adam had to have passed this along to his boys, just as he passed along the information about the Tree of Knowledge and how they were not to touch it.

Let me muddy up your water a little more. Enoch walked with God and was no more. Think about that concept. Enoch walked in a state of worship, and fellowship with the Father to the point that he eventually just walked off the earth. Do you realize that God is telling us something beyond what our minds can seem to conceive? How did Enoch have an understanding of how to do that? Enoch was only a few generations out from Adam, and apparently, someone who had to know; so Enoch asks the question of Adam, “what was it like walking with him in the garden?” Do you realize that Adam was capable of conveying that information to him? Adam, a broken man, thrown out of the garden, and our example of what not to do for thousands of generations. Oh, what I would give to have that kind of intimacy with the Father; my heart cries out for that kind of intimacy. I want to know you as Adam did; I want to feel your breath; to hold your hand, and feel your embrace. To be loved as no one has ever loved me.

Father, through tears I ask you to make yourself more real to me and give me the ability to show your love to others.

There is nothing in scripture by accident; and, it is safe to say that all of it, God’s Word, is completely intentional, and by design. God is well aware of what he is doing and to whom. If you find yourself desiring to dig into in his word it is because he put that desire in you. Explore and grow in the wealth and knowledge that is the King of Glory. Search the scriptures, for in them are the answers that you seek.

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Enduring chastisement. What does that mean?

Posted on 05/23/2011 by remso

Heb 12:7  If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

endureG5278
2. hupomeno (G5278), a strengthened form of No. 1, denotes “to abide under, to bear up courageously” (under suffering), Mat_10:22; Mat_24:13; Mar_13:13; Rom_12:12, translated “patient”; 1Co_13:7; 2Ti_2:10, 2Ti_2:12 (KJV, “suffer”); Heb_

Total KJV Occurrences: 18
endure, 5 Mar_13:13 (2), 2Ti_2:10, Heb_12:7, Jam_5:11; endured, 3 Heb_10:32, Heb_12:2-3 (2); endureth, 3 Mat_10:22, 1Co_13:7, Jam_1:12; patiently, 2
1Pe_2:20 (2); abode, 1 Act_17:14; behind, 1 Luk_2:43; patient, 1 Rom_12:12; suffer, 1 2Ti_2:12; tarried, 1 Luk_2:43

The NIV puts it this way: Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?

If I am “to bear up courageously” under hardship at then at least there is the hope  that there may be no future punishment. That would seem to be the whole problem that I am having here. The Jews lived under the law, but the testator died and God’s makes a new covenant with man. Under the new covenant, the one that we are living under, the law is written upon our hearts. That would mean that each one of us knows to do right.
Does any of that mean that punishment for breaking the law goes away?
Are we talking man’s laws, which for the most part are really God’s design, or exclusively God’s laws. God’s laws seemed more punitive, as the offender was usually killed.
You have to put things into perspective. Let’s assume that we are talking God’s law. Christ became the one time sacrifice for sins fulfilling the requirements of the law. Since then God is not judging the world for sins anymore. All judgement was placed upon Jesus. Now how was he punished? This passage says to endure your discipline. He was ridiculed, slapped, beaten, mocked, whipped, scourged, nail to a cross, forsaken by the Father (at least momentarily – he said so.), died, and went into hell. If that was what we deserved who would survive? No one. Truth is, believers are suffering fates like this daily. Does that mean they are being punished for their quiet little sins, or perhaps past sins? I do not think so.
Christ took all the punishment upon himself. An old pastor of mine, while trying to do some premarital counseling with the first wife and I, gave us an example in which his daughter had done wrong. She deserved the spanking with the belt (don’t get stupid on me here, that seemed to have been the common method at the time, and a fairly effective deterrent). So he calls her in the room, lays out the facts and the punishment once again, and then tells her “but this time I am going to take the punishment for you” and hands her the belt. She of course could not do it, and broke down crying. His point was two fold. One of which was that Christ did the same for us. We deserved it, merely by birth.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
(2 Corinthians 5:21, WBS)

“All children are disciplined by their fathers. … God disciplines us for our own good so that we can become holy like him.”

Discipline is the Greek word paideia
From G3811; tutorage, that is, education or training; by implication disciplinary correction: – chastening, chastisement, instruction, nurture.
According to the ISBE the radical meaning is that simply of training. In the New Testament the Greek paideia is used with a variety similar to its corresponding Hebrew in the Old Testament. Examples of the fundamental idea, namely, that of “training,” are found in such passages as Act_7:22; Act_22:3, where Moses and Paul are said to have been “instructed,” and 2Ti_3:16, where Scripture is said to be “profitable … for instruction” (compare 1Ti_1:20; 2Ti_2:25; Tit_2:12; Rom_2:20).
So that I have it straight in my head. I am “to abide under or bear up under my education or training.

If I was training to be an Olympic athlete then I might expect some hardship. Having wrestled for a short time in high school, and I can tell you that training sessions were grueling at times. Although they did not really help me any, they were for a purpose, and that was to make us better.
Here is an interesting thought. I said that the training sessions did not help me much; they did. I got stronger, leaner, and faster. What they did not do was build a confidence in me that taught me I could win. That problem has been with me all my life. What training can do to the outside of the body does not necessarily equate to a reformation on the inside. Suddenly the need for a savior becomes apparent, because man cannot save himself. Yes, there are some deluded people that believe you can. Good luck with that. If you are successful, it is only because God has allowed it for a purpose. If you are not fulfilling that purpose then you are not receiving your training very well.

So the bottom line here is that this is not about God being punitive toward us but attempting to train us. I suspect that what we don’t learn down here he will have to take a few extra minutes of our time when we get there. Beside all that scripture establishes that we are in Christ. Is God going to continue training and or punishing Him? NO. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his feet, and we are complete in him.

If it does not feel like this is who you are then I would suggest that you continue, in the Word, to abide under training.

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Turning to God from Idols – 1Thes 1:9

Posted on 05/14/2011 by remso

1 Thessalonians 1:9 (NIV)  for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,

“….you turned to God from idols..”

Does anyone notice something about this scene? Paul, the scripture tells us, preached in the Synagogue; Pagans would not have been allowed inside, therefore this had to have been a primarily Jewish audience.

To make the statement “you turned to God from idols” implies all of them. What were Jews doing worshiping idols? A foolish question, for this, had been a problem with the Jews for generations, and guess what, we followers of Christ do it too.

Leviticus 17:7  (NIV) They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute themselves.

Leviticus 26:30  (NIV) I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you.

Deuteronomy 32:21  (NIV) They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding.

Judges 17:5  (NIV) Now this man Micah had a shrine, and he made an ephod and some idols and installed one of his sons as his priest.

The book of Judges speaks of Micah, this is not Micah the Prophet, but it is a clear demonstration that he, as well as others, had attempted an integration of God with gods’; so, it is not a new phenomenon.

The writer of Hebrews makes what I think is a peculiar statement in Hebrews 13:9 “Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, NOT by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them.”

We, today, use this passage to beat up the other denominations that disagree with us. Just listen to some of the radio programs on the “Christian” channels, and you will hear it. We are all in the same big boat, headed toward heaven, but we are shoving our paddles in the water trying to turn the boat every which way, at the same time. No wonder the world cannot handle religion, we can’t either. And the reality is we keep trying to take control from God instead of letting the Holy Spirit have its way, and do the teaching. This Christian life is not that difficult and yet it has taken me 56 years to find this out. Here is the formula. I am giving it to you for free.

Love the Lord, love on people, and live a quiet life.

Now, how hard can that be!

So the strange teaching, in this case above, has something to do with the preparation of food. Food is prepared every day, in homes and places to eat. Now mind you with the prices you pay, and the hoopla that goes into the preparation of the “food”, it is easy to see how this could be an idol, and for many it is. One pastor,   n I sat under, had to tell us that he would not eat this common food served around here. He told us that he would take his wife into downtown Los Angeles to eat lunch at the Ritz whatever. I no longer go to that church and have no interest in doing so.

But there was definitely something being done or said over the food, being referred to in Hebrews, that, in the mind of the person eating it, had some benefit over just satisfying hunger, because there was something more being done to it other than cooking it. You can ascertain that because the writer has to make the statement “it is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by ceremonial foods, which are of no value to those who eat them.”

Clearly, the writer of Hebrews is in agreement with strengthening the heart., That would be the mind and soul of a person, but the strengthening should be done by grace.

Done by grace?

The ISBE has much to say about the word Grace.

1. The Word Charis:

In the English New Testament the word “grace” is always a translation of (charis), a word that occurs in the Greek text something over 170 times (the reading is uncertain in places). In secular Greek of all periods it is also a very common word, and in both Biblical and secular Greek it is used with far more meanings than can be represented by any one term in English Primarily.

But the word has abundant use in secular Greek in the sense of unmerited favor, and Paul seized on this meaning of the word to express a fundamental characteristic of Christianity. The basic passage is Rom 11:5; Rom 11:6, where as a definition is given, “If it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.” That the word is used in other senses could have caused no 1st-century reader to miss the meaning, which, indeed, is unmistakable. “Grace” in this sense is an attitude on God’s part that proceeds entirely from within Himself, and that is conditioned in no way by anything in the objects of His favor.

In Acts 15:40; 14:26 we see a special blessing of God (his grace) on a particular undertaking. I believe that the reference to the word in Hebrews has to do with God’s work in our lives, and not something that we have conjured up through some act of idolatry.

Look at 1 Cor 8:1-11

“Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that all possess knowledge. ..

vs 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one

vs 7 But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.

vs 8 But food does not bring us near to God

Again, clear evidence that these people believed in some god like quality, inherent in their idols, being able to transfer to their food. If their ceremonies to their gods involved some kind of food there had to be some perceived benefit from the eating, and thus we have the admonition of Hebrews 13:9.

3 sessions

3 sessions and their lives were changed forever.

Some people go to the psychiatrist for years and never change. These people turned almost instantly from their idols to worship God. If they were Jews alone why would that be such an incredible thing. This statement has such a western way of thinking embedded in it. In general we modern Americans do not think of idol worship in the same way. Our version does not come with so much fanfare, unless we are involved with Satanism or some other extreme. No, the worship of idols such as a car, food or money, is done quietly and with reserve.

Idol worship, that which takes the place of God, is subtle, and stealthily integrated into our lives. We are bombarded with it’s hooks by the messages on the television, on a daily basis. Oh yes, we have our fair share of idols too.

If you have read the New Testament to any degree then you might be aware that Paul was well capable of preaching long into the night. One young man could certainly attest to that, because the young man fell asleep while Paul was preaching, and fell out of the window. He was probably dead from snapping his neck on impact, but Paul prayed for him, he was healed, and Paul continued preaching.

The point is that Paul may have only taught on 3 consecutive Sabbaths, but they might have marathon sessions. Paul only preached there 3 times because the zealous, religious Jews ran him out. Paul was preaching these freedoms based upon scripture (the Torah), that these listeners knew, and he was doing it in the synagogue. Everything about this situation seems impossible, and yet there is it, and this, along with every stop Paul made, began the process of changing the world toward Christ.

I used to watch cartoons as a child, and they almost always ended with a moral to the story. If there is a moral to Paul’s story it is that he was willing. God took that willingness and changed a world.

Oh, by the way; get the idols out of your life and give God first place, as He should be.

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What of Jacob, or Can a woman really heal what is broken in you?

Posted on 05/09/2011 by remso

We are covering a lot of ground on this one. Look for this story in Genesis 25 -31.

 Church Saturday night. Pastor is talking about relational issues between husbands and wives, and tonight brings up Jacob. He, of course had to do the fast recap of who Jacob is and what “created” him. What I mean by created is the dynamics within his family that made him respond to situations the way he did. This equates to, in this case, a broken man, Jacob, that looks to a woman, Rachel, to bring him wholeness.

 Here is a shocker! We are all broken and though we may not want to admit to it, most of us are looking for something that helps to dull the pain and take our mind off of it for at least a few moments. Sometimes, in the case of a man, it takes the form of a woman because she quiets the storm momentarily. If a man could be honest, he would tell you that there is little that takes away the hurt inside. Come on. Scripture tells us that all of creation is crying out for redemption, so how can you be excluded.

 What we know about Jacob.

Esau was born first, and quickly becomes a very hairy man. Jacob of course was born second. At an early age this second child thing is not important to you, but, depending on how you treated in the home (For example: your father makes sure that you eventually understand the position that you do not hold; that the older will rule the family when father is gone, and the elder will get the lion’s share of any inheritance.) there may also be sibling rivalry and favoritism shown toward the elder. (That could work the opposite too, for often the eldest is held to a higher standard and takes more punishment for mistakes.)

 Whatever the case is with these two we do not know, but we have some clues.

Gen 25:27 tells us: And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

What does that mean when it comes to Jacob? While one was constantly out being manly the other seems to have busy playing video games and cooking. In the eyes of a father that wants to pass on the family business Esau is the boy you brag about in the market place. This has to play a role in the character of Jacob.

 Outside of speculation you do not know what made Jacob such a conniver.

Here is what we have next.

One day, Jacob was cooking some stew, when Esau came home hungry and said, “I’m starving to death! Give me some of that red stew right now!” That’s how Esau got the name “Edom.” Jacob replied, “Sell me your rights as the first-born son.” “I’m about to die,” Esau answered. “What good will those rights do me?” But Jacob said, “Promise me your birthrights, here and now!” And that’s what Esau did.

(Genesis 25:29-33 CEV)

 While you probably do not pick up on a major attitude when you read most translations, there is no doubt that it is there.

 Here is an example of attitude that Jesus told us about. The parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus. Both have died. Lazarus is now comforted and the rich man is now demanding, pretty much just as he had always done, that Lazarus be sent back to warn his family.

And he said, Father, it is my request that you will send him to my father’s house; (Luke 16:27 BBE)

This parable is another example that probably escapes most people because the interpreters of the bible, in order for words to make sense, inserted the word please, as though the man was now being polite. It was his custom to order people around, and he still thinks that he can order Lazarus around.

 Esau, though probably not on the verge of death, is hungry enough sale his birthright to Jacob. Doesn’t this imply that the birthright issue has been part of Jacob’s thinking for a long time.

 If you felt confident that you were going to be taken care of by your father then why would you steal what was not meant to be yours? Obviously Jacob did not feel very confident.

 Okay, Esau sells his brother his birthright. Yeah right, only in cheap words, for Esau seems to have had no intent of giving up what was his. Besides that, how do you enforce an illegal sale, with a father who is the only one who has the right to give it, and who is probably not that fond of Jacob anyway.

If Esau had thrown away his birthright nonchalantly, then why go to the trouble of going in to his father in hopes of receiving the blessing?

 As soon as Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, when Jacob had scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, Esau his brother came in from his hunting. He also prepared delicious food and brought it to his father. And he said to his father, “Let my father arise and eat of his son’s game, that you may bless me.” His father Isaac said to him, “Who are you?” He answered, “I am your son, your firstborn, Esau.” Then Isaac trembled very violently and said, “Who was it then that hunted game and brought it to me, and I ate it all before you came, and I have blessed him? Yes, and he shall be blessed.” As soon as Esau heard the words of his father, he cried out with an exceedingly great and bitter cry and said to his father, “Bless me, even me also, O my father!” But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully, and he has taken away your blessing.” Esau said, “Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has cheated me these two times. He took away my birthright, and behold, now he has taken away my blessing.” Then he said, “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” Isaac answered and said to Esau, “Behold, I have made him lord over you, and all his brothers I have given to him for servants, and with grain and wine I have sustained him. What then can I do for you, my son?” (Genesis 27:30-37 ESV)

 Some time has passed, and personalities have not changed.

Now we get to add Rebekah into the mix.

And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, (Genesis 27:5-6 KJV)

 It would seem that she knew about the deal that Jacob had made with Esau, and has decided that she is going to make this deception happen. There is little about what happens next even believable, but it does. Sheepskin, with all that hair, and the voice had to be decidedly different. Besides, Jacob was the cook not Esau.

 The deception is pulled off, and now Jacob has to flee; an exile. He, in a sense, stumbles upon Rachel, and she is a vision of what a girl should look like. He wants her bad, and is willing to work for her to get her. There is an irony here in that Rachel, is not an accident by any means, for Laban, her father is Jacob’s uncle. (Consider: If Rebekah knew how to be devious it only makes sense that Laban would too.)

Jacob makes no effort to barter for her, but tells Laban that he will work seven years for her.

(That in it self may be significant on several levels. 7 is the number of perfection, and redemption, a theme that recurs throughout scripture.)

He does not do what desperate men do, raping her, he waits for the seven years. He then goes to Laban and demands that she be given to him for he has paid for her. Laban deceives Jacob just as Jacob had deceived and gives him Leah.

 Laban makes a statement here, in response to Jacob’s shock and disappointment, that I never noticed before.

And Laban answered, It is not done thus in our country, to give the younger before the elder. Genesis 29:26 Brenton)

As pastor explained: “this had to cut Jacob like a knife“. This is precisely what Jacob and his mother had done to Esau. And Laban may well be aware of it. If not, it is amazing how the Holy Spirit puts words in your mouth.

 Now the premise for all this is: that Jacob, a broken man, and I am not so sure he could understand that for a long time, pursues Rachel, the vision of perfection, in hopes that she would heal him and make him a better man.

 While that may actually be happening in the back of his mind it is not directly noted. Sure, much smarter men than I have analyzed this scenario and concluded these things from the story, but is that necessarily the point that God is trying to make in sharing this with us?

 One of the things that I see in scripture is that God is in control, regardless of how lousy the circumstances seem to be. Pastor said “that God gives us examples of people who are messed up so that we can know what not to do.” If that theory is true, then why would God tell Israel, explicitly, not to learn from the surrounding nations, for the surrounding nations were doing everything wrong, worshiping idols, and sacrificing their children to gods.

 While I might argue that learning from my neighbor how to work with Iron could be a necessity that would allow my civilization to eventually create sewer pipes, there is always a hazard in close associations, especially for those not so grounded. As it can, and most of the time will cause us to be drawn away by the deviant and those used by Satan.

 You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you. (Exodus 23:32-33 AMP)

 And you shall consume all the peoples whom the Lord your God will give over to you; your eye shall not pity them, neither shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you. (Deuteronomy 7:16 AMP)

 You didn’t merely live by their ways and act according to their disgusting practices, but in a very short time you acted more corruptly than they in all your ways. (Ezekiel 16:47 CJB)

 Is it the person becoming the snare? Perhaps, but what we do know is that Satan will deceive you through any means possible. In some cases it might be an innocent, but attractive looking woman.

 Yes, Jacob’s life is one big psycho drama. He is a liar, a cheat, and generally a mess; he does not even seem to slow down all those years later when he meets Esau. But there is a method to God’s madness. God seems to use broken people; he even seeks them out. He seems to find pleasure in lifting them up and healing them.

 Our savior is a descendant of the line from Jacob.

 My point: That no matter how messed up the story we can and should glean as much as we can from each one, for it is God’s story. Sure, you think it is yours, but it is never anything less than God’s plan, you just get to be a part of it.

“For I know what plans I have in mind for you,’ says Adonai,’plans for well-being, not for bad things; so that you can have hope and a future. ” (Jeremiah 29:11 CJB)

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